Advertisers, however, appear relatively unfazed. Whisper and Secret may be home to some jarringly honest and downright venomous posts, but agency execs still think they’re an alluring option for brave brands, especially if they continue to build large audiences.

“It’s not for everybody,” Ian Schafer, CEO at digital agency Deep Focus, said. “There are going to be some brands that find being in that kind of environment makes them stand out more.”